These 33 Baby Names Are at Their Peak Popularity: Discover Some Rock-Solid Options

Baby name trends are fickle and funny, with some appellations seemingly staying popular forever while others rocket up the charts before fizzling out of style. For many expecting parents, finding a baby name that fits in and doesn’t stand out for all the wrong reasons is key. Looking at appellations that are at their peak is a great way to choose a name for your bundle of joy. These options are solid and time-tested, making them safe bets that will serve your child and your family well.

The baby names experts at Nameberry crunched the data to find the appellations that are currently more popular than ever before in the US. Each of these names is in the top fifty most popular names for girls and boys. They are beautiful, sturdy, and reliable. While some have been popular for decades, others are relatively new to the top of the charts. This offers you a good mix of traditional and novel names. If you are ready to find the perfect fit for your baby, read through the options at their peak to learn about their origins and meanings.

Amelia

Amelia is a name of English and German origin that means “industrious.” The name has ranked in the top ten since 2017, and in the latest tally (from 2022), the name ranked fourth.

Asher

Asher is a name of Hebrew origin that means “fortunate.” The name took hold in the late 1980s and shot up the popularity charts. The name currently ranks nineteenth.

Aurora

Aurora is a name of Latin origin that means “dawn.” Aurora names the Roman goddess of sunrise, whose tears turned into the morning dew. The appellation is an international hit, with parents choosing it for their daughters worldwide. It ranks thirty-first.

Charlotte

Charlotte is one of the classic names that has been popular since the Social Security Administration began keeping baby name records in 1880. Charlotte has been in the top ten since 2014 and currently ranks third.

Elena

Elena is a name of Greek origin, meaning “bright, shining one.” Similar to Aurora, Elena is an international hit worldwide. If you look at a graph of this appellation’s popularity, it has been a long, slow climb to the top fifty. It currently sits at forty-ninth.

Eliana

Eliana is a name of Hebrew origin that means “my God has answered.” The name first landed in the top 1000 in 1986 and has climbed ever since. Currently, it ranks at forty-one.

Elias

Elias hit an all-time low in 1957 before rebounding and shooting up the popularity charts. The name ranks forty-third today. Elias comes from a Hebrew root that means “Yahweh is God.”

Evelyn

Evelyn was a massive hit in the early decades of the twentieth century. In the 1970s and ’80s, it looked as if this name was headed into obscurity. Then, it gained steam again and is now more popular than ever in the US, ranking ninth. Evelyn is an English name that was recycled through German and French. It means “desired” or “island.”

Ezekiel

Ezekiel tanked in the 1950s, falling out of the top 1000 for twenty years. It returned in 1975 and rose until it bested its previous best year in 2002. Today, Ezekiel ranks forty-ninth.

Ezra

Ezra has a very similar story to tell as Ezekiel. It, too, suffered in the mid-century years before rebounding. It beat its best year (1881) in 2011 and climbed to the twenty-fifth spot today.

Henry

Henry is one of the names that has been an evergreen favorite in the US, never dropping out of the top 150. It’s hard to believe this classic is more popular than ever in the US, but the numbers don’t lie! It ranks seventh in the US. Henry comes from a German root that means “estate ruler.”

Hudson

From 1919 until 1995, Hudson fell off of the top 1000 list. Almost eighty years with very few Hudsons! Then, boom! The appellation took off and rocketed to the top. Today, it ranks twenty-seventh. Hudson is a name of English origin, meaning “Hugh’s son.”

Ivy

Ivy is a beautiful botanical name that hit its lowest point in the US in the 1940s. It’s back and bigger than ever. It ranks forty-second today.

Leo

Leo is a name of Latin origin that means “lion.” It’s one of the names that is popular in countless countries around the world. This hit ranks twenty-second.

Levi

Levi is a name of Hebrew origin that means “joined.” Curiously, this gorgeous appellation tanked in the 1960s and ’70s. Levi is back and better than ever. It rests just outside of the top ten in the twelfth spot.

Liam

Liam became widely used in the US in the 1960s. In just a few short decades, the appellation charmed so many new parents that it is now the number one baby name for boys in the US. Liam is the Irish short form of William, coming from a German root that means “resolute protector.”

Luca

Another incredible success story is Luca. Luca first landed in the top 1000 in 2000. In just two decades and some change, Luca became a top fifty choice. It ranks twenty-eight now. Bravo! Luca is an Italian form of Lucas or Luke and can mean “light” or “from Lucania.”

Lucas

Not just Luca with an “S,” Lucas has been in the baby names mix since the 1880s. Though it did take a break from the 1920s through the 1950s, it bested its previous height in 1972 and continued upward, ranking eighth today. It is one of the names that has enjoyed international success in recent decades. Lucas is a Latin name from Greek that means “from Lucania.”

Luna

Luna was a mildly popular baby name in the US until it fell from favor in 1922. It would not return to the top 1000 until 2003! Today, it takes the tenth spot. Luna is a name of Latin origin that means “moon.”

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Mateo

Mateo was rare in the US before 1995. It really took hold in the late nineties and shot up the charts. Now, it ranks eleventh. Mateo is the Spanish form of Matthew, coming from a Hebrew root that means “gift of God.”

Maverick

Maverick is one of the few established names that Americans invented. The name means “nonconformist.” There’s a bit of irony here when you look at the name’s meaning and how popular it has become. It entered the top fifty in 2021 and ranks fortieth today.

Naomi

You might have thought that Naomi is a relatively new phenomenon spawned by the rise of Naomi Campbell, but the appellation has been a mildly popular choice in the US since the 1880s. Campbell did give this appellation a boost in recent decades, catapulting it to the forty-sixth spot. Naomi comes from a Hebrew root that means “pleasantness.”

Nova

Nova might be a Latin name that means “new,” but it has a long history of usage in the US. From 1885 until 1938, the appellation ranked in the top 1000. It fell in usage from 1939 until 2011. One of the steepest-climbing names on this list, Nova went from 884 to thirty-two in just eleven years!

Oliver

One of the world’s most cherished baby names, Oliver, comes from Latin and means “olive tree.” It hit its lowest point in the US in 1986, dipping to 471. That means it has been in the top 500 each year since 1880. Today, the appellation ranks third.

Olivia

The olive names are big these days! Olivia’s trajectory is almost identical to Oliver’s. However, it did fall to a lower rank, 543, in 1971 before it rebounded. Now, the name ranks first for baby girls. Olivia is also of Latin origin and means “olive tree.” What a winner!

Owen

With the exception of a few years in the late 1970s and early ’80s, Owen has been in the top 500 in the US. It cracked the top twenty for the first time in 2022, ranking at eighteenth. Owen comes from a Welsh root that means “young warrior” or “noble.”

Penelope

One of the names with the most dramatic ups and downs through the years, Penelope is now an established option. In recent decades, the renaissance of this baby appellation can be attributed to Penelope Cruz. Beginning in 2001, the name re-entered the top 1000 and climbed to twenty-first today. Penelope comes from Greek and means “weaver.”

Santiago

Santiago is a name of Latin origin that means “Saint James.” In terms of favorability, the name was all over the place until the 1960s, when it finally began to rise steadily. Today, the appellation ranks forty-eighth.

Scarlett

Before 1992, Scarlett ranked in the top 1000 a few years but spent more time absent than on the minds of new parents. We have Scarlett Johansson to thank for driving this name up in popularity. It cracked the top twenty in 2016 and now ranks fourteenth. Scarlett has been in use since medieval Europe when it was used as an occupational name for producers of red-dyed wool. Thus, the name means “wool dyer” or “deep red.”

Sebastian

One of the big names in many countries worldwide, Sebastian, comes from Latin and Greek, meaning “from Sebastia.” The name broke into the top fifty for the first time in 2013. Now, it’s thirteenth.

Theodore

Theodore has ranked in the top fifty each year since 1880. However, it hit new heights in 2022 when it first cracked the top ten. It is tenth today. Theodore comes from a Greek root that means “gift of God.” Parents really love the nickname, Theo.

Violet

Violet is an English name from a Latin root and means “purple” or “violet flower.” In the 1970s and 1980s, the name took a huge hit, falling out of the top 1000 for the first time on record. Now, the name is twentieth.

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Willow

In 1997, a character named Willow was introduced to audiences of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Just one year later, in 1998, the appellation landed in the US top 1000 for the first time. Today, it ranks thirty-seventh. Willow is even more prevalent in other majority English-speaking countries like Australia, Canada, and the UK. This beloved tree name has dug its roots in.

There you go! Now, you know the baby names that have hit their peak popularity. It’s okay to choose a safe choice; these options are as rock-solid as they come.